You Broke My Heart, Now Deal With It
by littledoggy
Summary: What started as a small joke becomes a great misunderstanding. Mikan and Natsume go out of their way to prove their hate for the other. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! This is my second Gakuen Alice fanfiction, so please be gentle. Critism and reviews welcome, flames are not. Got that? Now down to the boring disclaimers.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice. If only I did. But I don't, so that's that.**

Mikan's batch: 15 years old

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**Chapter 1**

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Kokoroyomi twirled his pencil around his fingers idly. He was bored. Occasionally he would pay attention to another's thought, just for the sake of amusement.

_Oh man…this question is hard,_ someone moaned. _What do you get if xxx is multiplies by y then subtract five from the answer then…_

He drew away from the student's mind immediately. Math was something he did _not_ want to hear. After listening dully to more totally uninteresting thoughts, he withdrew himself from their minds.

_Nothing of interest today,_ he groaned inwardly. _Time to add some spice into life. What about…trying the impossible?_ He chuckled evilly as he schemed his plan, his eyes focused on a certain Sakura Mikan.

"Psst. Hey Mikan!" he hissed, successfully capturing the attention of the brunette.

"Hi K-" she started to say loudly.

"Tome down a little! Everyone will hear you!" he said in alarm. Mikan looked around. Sure enough, half of the class was staring at her. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Sorry Kokoroyomi-chan," she murmured apologetically.

"I have a piece of information for you," he said, grinning widely. It was all he could do not to laugh out loud. No, that would not do at all. The destroying of his ingenious plan would be the last thing he wanted.

Mikan's brown eyes grew wide in excitement. Any piece of juicy gossip is welcome to her ears. "Tell me!" she implored. Kokoroyomi snickered inwardly. _Bait taken. Now to reel it in…_

"Natsume likes Tangerines," he said slowly, emphasizing on the 'tangerines'.

"Natsume likes Tangerines?" Mikan repeated, scratching her head in confusion. "What does that have to do with me?"

The mind reading boy smacked his head in exasperation. _Okay, baiting the densest person in the class is definitely hard._ "He likes Tangerines," he said again. "As in really likes her." He used 'her' on purpose, hoping to make her understand.

"So he likes Tangerines," she said slowly.

_Yes, yes. Go on._

"So I should invite him to Central Town to eat tangerines huh?"

Kokoroyomi nearly fell onto the floor. Luckily he managed to hold onto his table before he did. _You baka Mikan…don't you realize that the 'tangerine' is you? Sigh, I guess not. You're too dense._

"Well…as you wish."

"Okay! Wait a moment," Mikan halted in curiosity. "Why did you tell me this?"

_Maybe she's not as dense as I thought. I'll give it another shot._

"Because he likes her?" he suggested lamely.

"Oh well. As long as it can put a smile on his face." Her face brightened in anticipation. "Tangerines huh?"

"Yes, that's right. Go get them, he'll love it," Kokoroyomi said, grinning mischievously.

"I wonder what stall sells them," Mikan murmured. This time Kokoroyomi really fell off his chair.

_I give up! Do as you wish!_ he wailed in defeat.

"Kokoroyomi-chan! Are you all right?" Mikan asked concernedly.

"Y-Yes," he groaned, using his table to pull himself back onto his chair, a little disheveled. "Go on, ask him. It's free time now, so it's safe."

"Okay!" She flashed him a huge smile. "Ja ne!"

Kokoroyomi returned the gesture then leaned back into his chair, a contented smirk on his face. _This is going to be SO fun._

….

"Hey Natsume-kun! Come down for a moment please!" Mikan hollered sweetly from the base of the tree. Natsume grunted, a trifle annoyed. A moment later he was on his feet and in front of a very startled Mikan.

"What's up?"

"Do you like tangerines?" she asked innocently. His eyes narrowed. Why did she ask such a question? Unless…

"Yes, I do. What's that got to do with you?" he drawled, trying to keep his excitement in check. Was it really what he thought it was?

Mikan grabbed his wrist, making him blush. He hid his face beneath his bangs. "Come on then! Let's go to Central Town and eat tangerines there!"

Natsume's hopes dropped. _Oh, it wasn't a subtle hint after all…_ For a moment he considered the idea of rejecting her offer. _Then she'll feel the bitterness I felt earlier._ No. He pushed the enticing thought away just as firmly. At least she was willing to spare her time to go with him.

"Okay."

The brunette was silent. She had almost expected him to refuse, knowing Natsume as well as she did. "R-Really?"

"Do you want to go, or do you want to gape at me forever?" Natsume sighed in boredom. Mikan was jerked out of her initial shock and tugged incessantly at his sleeve.

"Come on then!"

….

Natsume and Mikan strolled casually around Central Town, watching people mingle around. Or rather, Natsume was the one watching while Mikan searched high and low for a tangerine stall.

"I can't find any tangerines!" she screamed in frustration.

The fire caster beside her raised a brow. "You were searching for tangerines?"

"Of course! You like them, don't you?"

Natsume was silent for a moment. "Yes," he said slowly. "But consider what season it is now. It's autumn. Do you really think that there still are tangerines out in the market?" _Except for one very dense Tangerine_…he thought with a sweatdrop.

"Well…no. If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" she exploded.

_To spend some time with you,_ was the true answer. Of course, Natsume would never admit it. So arrogant was he.

"Why?" Mikan pressed. Natsume sighed and stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Look, if you can't find tangerines, there are always other things to enjoy," he pointed out. _Baka,_ he added silently to himself.

"You're right! Let's walk around some more!" Natsume groaned. More walking? He shook his head. _I'll never understand girls. Ruka's right. They ARE the greatest mystery in the universe._

….

"Polka Dots, we have walked around Central Town four times already. Haven't you found something you like?" Natsume asked in exasperation. No answer. He turned around to see Mikan staring wishfully at the ice cream stall. He allowed the ends of his mouth to curve into a smile. Typical of her. Without hesitation, he pulled Mikan towards it.

"Wha..?" she asked in surprise. "Let go of me Natsume-kun!"

"You want to have some ice-cream, ne?"

"I…" a loud rumble from her stomach answered the question. "H-Hai," she said in embarrassment.

"Come on then."

"Konnichiwa! What do you want?" a cheerful woman said from the back of the stall.

"We want some ice cream, please," Mikan said politely.

"We?"

"Why? Don't you want some?"

"…."

"Pick a flavour please. The board is over there," the jolly street vendor pointed at a yellow board above her stall.

"Wow, there are so many flavours I don't know what to pick!" she chattered animatedly. Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Just pick one already."

"Well…I'll have the strawberry one then."

"Get her a double scoop," Natsume butted in. The vendor smiled knowingly and started to prepare the dish.

Mikan turned to look at him with large eyes. "Why double scoop?"

"You do want it, ne? I could cancel it," he suggested evilly. He chuckled inwardly at the longing and indignation in Mikan's eyes.

"Sumimasen, your ice cream is ready," the woman called, holding up a bowl in the shape of a boat. In it were two huge scoops of strawberry ice cream, glittering brightly under the sun. Two umbrellas were stuck into the middle of each scoop. The wind brought the tantalizing smell over to the two teenagers. Mikan sniffed it with pleasure, her mouth watering.

"How much is it?" Natsume asked, pulling out his wallet. Mikan pushed it back into his pocket, aghast.

"I ordered this, so I should pay for it!" she protested.

"How much is it?" he repeated, ignoring the girl. The woman chuckled.

"A hundred rabbits please."

Mikan gaped at her. "A-A hundred rabbits?" she whispered. "I can't afford such expensive ice-cream!"

"Here's one hundred rabbits," Natsume murmured, handing over the money to the vendor.

"Arigato, enjoy your meal," she quipped. "Ah, young lovers."

"What did you say?" he asked casually. The murderous look in his eye kept her silent.

"N-Nothing."

Natsume shrugged and pulled Mikan away, holding the ice cream in one hand. She followed obligingly, her eyes trained on the ice cream. _Always crazy over food. It's a wonder she isn't fat by now, considering the amount she eats,_ Natsume thought.

They sat down thankfully under the comforting shade of an umbrella. Mikan dug into the ice cream eagerly, splaying a lot of it onto her and Natsume's face in the process. He tried his best to ignore it, but the last time was one time too many. He wiped the speck of ice cream in annoyance and confronted her.

"Enough of that Polka Dots!" he snarled. An ice cream smudged face looked up from the half-empty bowl of ice cream. "Gosh, you're a glutton."

"Am not!" Mikan sputtered indignantly. Some more ice cream flew onto Natsume's cheek, who brushed it off.

"Are," he said casually. The brunette stood up in anger. Unknown to her, the edge of her skirt was stuck onto the seat of the chair.

"Am not!"

"Yes you are and did you really want to show everyone your panties Polka Dots?" he drawled.

"Of course not!"

"Look around." Mikan obeyed grudgingly. Sure enough, people were ogling at something they saw. Some of them chuckled and whispered behind their hands. Majority of them didn't bother to do so and were insulting her openly. A toddler pointed a small finger at her.

"Mama, why is the girl wearing her skirt that way?" he asked innocently. His mother took one glance at Mikan before turning away, trying to suppress her giggles.

"Hush, don't say that out loud."

Puzzled, Mikan looked down at her skirt. It was still lodged firmly on her seat by a half-broken splinter of wood. She screamed in embarrassment and pulled her skirt away.

_RRIP._

Her skirt tore at the hem, revealing more of her thighs. Mikan's face turned as red as a tomato.

"Wearing polka dots again I see," Natsume said sarcastically in amusement. Mikan growled and snapped.

"So did you enjoy the kiss Narumi sensei gave you five years ago?" she said in a carrying voice that sounded around the city. Now it was Natsume's turn to turn red. He hid his embarrassment under his bangs. Many of the onlookers snickered. They soon regretted it though.

Natsume's shoulders trembled. Immediately the temperature shot up to an intolerable level. People started to sweat profusely, growing uneasy save for two people, namely Natsume himself because of his fire alice and Mikan with the nullifying alice.

The brunette smiled in triumph, knowing that she had touched a nerve. The temperature continued to rise. After a while people started to creep away from the two unaffected teenagers in an attempt to get away from the heat. Some of them had passed out because of it.

Natsume and Mikan seemed to be locked in a glare, each daring the other to lower their gaze. Finally both looked away at the same time and stalked out in opposite directions. A fleet moment before removing his eyes from her, he swore that he saw tears swimming in those brown eyes…had he hurt her?

PPPP

Finally done. This sucks in my opinion. Tell me if I should continue.

Please review. It means so much to me.

Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I'm back! (not that it matters.) First of all, I want to thank you all for the reviews, they were very encouraging! I would like to apologize for the late update, I accidentally deleted the completed document (chapter 2), so I had to start from scratch all over again. Sorry I kept you waiting! Oh yeah, and I was too lazy to re-read it again...so there might be a ton of mistakes.

Warning: Some characters are _extremely_ OOC. Don't go on if you are not in favour of OOC-ness.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice. If only I did. But I don't, so that's that.**

Mikan's batch: 15 years old

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**Chapter 2**

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Mikan's POV

Humph! How dare Natsume-kun tease me! O-kay, he had done it many times before, but this was in front of the entire Central Town! Trying to imagine how embarrassing that was.

_Extremely_ humiliating.

I brushed away several droplets of crystalline tears that were swimming about in my eyes. Why was I crying? Why?

_Stop it this instant, Mikan,_ I admonished myself. _There is no point wasting tears on that hentai. Baka! Baka Natsume! Baka! BAKA!_ I screamed inwardly.

_Baka…_

I sniffed and raised a smudgy hand to wipe off any remaining tears. I am not going to cry anymore. Not for him anyway.

Humiliation slowly but surely gave way to anger. I could almost feel the heat up my face. Now all I see is a curtain of red.

Revenge. That was the only thing that made sense in my mind at the moment. _Hyuuga Natsume…you'll pay for insulting me today!_ With that I stomped towards the yellow bus and boarded it to return to Gakuen Alice.

_Oh yes, you'll pay very dearly indeed. I'll make you pay for what you did to me!_

….

A drop of guilt mixed with the feeling of triumph Natsume was feeling now. Sure, he and Mikan were quits now since she had told on him after he teased her, but what was there to gain? Nothing. He had hurt her feelings badly for nothing.

_But she did hurt your feelings,_ a voice reasoned with him.

_I hurt hers first!_

_She _did_ get back at you though._

Natsume groaned. _What am I going to do now?_

_Trying watching your surroundings for starters._ Natsume grumbled but complied.

_Darn it! I went in the wrong direction!_ He groaned inwardly. _Guess I have to go_ _back to the academy by jumping from tree to tree._ Reaching out for a branch, he pulled himself into the tree and started leaping from one tree to another.

_Good thing I'm skilled at climbing trees. Now time to plan my revenge on polka dots. Can't let her have the upper hand._

….

Mikan huffed as she landed on her bed, a stack of books and magazines in her hands. _These should be enough._ Grabbing the topmost book from the huge pile, she hugged her pillow and started to flip through the pages.

"Hm…nothing new here," she murmured nonchalantly. "Next…" She took a random book and glanced at the title. _The Weekly Fashion Designs,_ it was called. Mikan grinned and opened the book. An evil smile grew on her face as she picked out the most interesting designs. Oh yes, revenge was brewing within her. Sweet revenge.

"Ah, the perfect ones," she sighed, tearing out several sections of the magazine. "Now to order them. I'll get them tomorrow since it will be a Sunday." _Ah Natsume, you are going to get such a shock when we resume school on Monday._ Giggling softly to herself, she got up, brushed her clothes and went to make some telephone calls.

….

"Ohayo go-g-go…" Yuu said, stuttering when he saw the girl before him. Mikan giggled, ignoring the fact that she was being ogled at by most of the boys in the room. She wore a tight blue blouse that showed off her curves with a mini skirt that barely covered her thighs, showing off her thin legs. Black boots hugged her calves.

The girl giggled and threw her head back. Her brown hair came loose of their bands and cascaded down around her shoulders and reaching down to her elbows. Several boys drooled at the sight of that.

"Ohayo Yuu-san," she said, batting her eyelids flirtatiously. Yuu gulped and tried to back away. "Lost your tongue today?"

No answer. Mikan giggled some more and walked towards her seat, her skirt swishing about in rhythm with her steps. "Ohayo Hotaru." She made no move to hug her though. Hotaru barely acknowledged her presence, gracing her only with a small smile that was barely there. Mikan seemed satisfied with it and sat down beside Natsume.

The boy did not even spare her a glance. He buried himself in his manga instead. On the other hand, Ruka was staring at Mikan, trying very hard to tear his eyes away from her enticingly attractive body. His mouth was agape. The rabbit he carried along with him shook its head. One of its snow-white ears stuck itself into his mouth, tickling Ruka's lips. Ruka clamped his mouth shut at once, his rabbit's ear still stuck inside. It shook its head in annoyance and pulled its ear out. It then caressed its slightly damp ear gently with its paws.

"Gomen," Ruka apologized. He rubbed the rabbit's ears. It seemed contented and pushed its head against the boy's fingers, its soft green eyes sparkling. "But Mikan…are you Mikan?"

The brunette turned to face him, a cute pout on her lips. Ruka instantly blushed a deep shade of red. "Don't you recognize me anymore Ruka?" she asked playfully. He started to sweat, beads of perspiration dripping down onto the shirt he was wearing.

"Well…iie."

"Nani? You don't recognize me?" she asked sadly, her lower lip trembling.

"I-Iie! It's j-just -" a flustered Ruka blabbered. One glare from Natsume silenced him immediately.

"Keep quiet. I want to read. There is nothing interesting in polka dots anyway."

"Arigato Natsume," Mikan interjected sweetly, reaching out to touch his arm. Natsume blushed and pulled away.

"Stay off me."

"Hai Natsume-kun!"

Natsume grumbled and returned to his manga, leaving Ruka to continue gaping at the new Mikan. She was…beautiful. She appeared more mature without her hair up in pigtails. Not to mention her new choice of clothes. It was, er….

Narumi-sensei entered the room just then. He waved jovially to the class. "Ohayo mina san!" His gaze fell on Mikan then. Like everyone else in the room (except for Hotaru and Natsume), he stared disbelievingly at the girl. "M-Mikan-chan, is that you?"

"Hai Narumi sensei."

"But what -" he looked at Natsume who was immersed in his comic book and back to Mikan again. She smiled innocently at him. One more glance at a fuming Natsume told the teacher everything he needed to know. "Ah." _Young love._

Narumi-sensei clapped his hands together to gain the attention of the class. "Ikuyo, let's start today's lesson, shall we?" he said with a glint in his eye. "Ah, Mikan-chan, please come forward and solve this…"

….(after the lesson)

Natsume leaned his back casually against the sturdy trunk of the sakura tree. His mind was filled with thoughts of a certain brunette. Was she that determined to have her revenge to the point she would do anything to achieve it? By the looks of it, yes.

Well, if she wants revenge, it will not be one-sided. He wanted revenge, too. Natsume grunted and lifted himself up into the secure branches of the tree.

_I'll just take a short rest._

….(The next day)

"Ohayo M-Mikan-chan," Yuu greeted awkwardly. This new Mikan was rather hard to adjust to. Mikan nodded and started to sit down. That was when it happened.

Natsume strolled confidently into the room, accompanied by Nogi Ruka and a few dozen fangirls. Nothing special there. Fangirls trailed those two hot boys everywhere they went.

Here was the catch. Instead of shooting them a death glare, Natsume turned around and _blew a kiss at them!_ Mikan stared hard at him. Was he sick? Had he come down with a fever that sent his brain haywire or something? Because Natsume never acted like that. His fangirls did not care. They swooned and gasped happily.

_Idiots_, Mikan found herself thinking. _Going bonkers over Natsume_… She still felt a blush creeping up her cheeks though. She had to admit, he was dashingly handsome.

"Hey Sumire," Natsume said softly. _Kami-sama, I'm going to hate this._ He leaned his elbows casually on her desk. He could practically feel Sumire shaking with excitement and had to suppress a snort. She was such a … Whatever. First things first. "Wanna go out with me?"

Sumire almost fainted. "N-Nani?" she gasped, her eyes sparkling. Natsume really wanted to set her hair on fire. Why is this girl overreacting? Heck, he was just asking her out. Not that he would be enjoying it…it was just that this time, polka dots has gone too far.

"Wanna go out with me?"

Ruka was gaping at Natsume's attitude, and that irked him even more. So what if he acted a little different once in a while?

What he did not know was that he had unknowingly opened the gates to eager fangirls to come and drown him in their midst. Oh Natsume, you are going to regret what you did once you realize this, ne?

"Yes!" Sumire yelled happily, taking his hand in hers. Natsume really wanted to pull away. He nearly did, and he would have if not for Sumire's tight grip.

"Very well then," he said, faking a happy grin. "Meet me outside after class." _Eurgh…this is going to suck._

A certain brunette watched this exchange with growing envy. So what if she did not like Natsume? It still gave her a right to feel jealous, right?

Wait, why was she jealous? He can flirt with all the girls he wants. _I don't care,_ Mikan thought with a sinking heart. _He really _is_ taking extreme measures just to get back at me._

Meanwhile, Ruka gaped at his friend's odd behaviour, trying his very best to comprehend the fact that _Natsume_ just asked _Shouda_ out. On a _date. People change with time, I guess, _he thought with a sweatdrop.

….

The bell rang for lunch. The students streamed out of the room thankfully, all chattering animatedly. As promised, Natsume was waiting for Sumire, leaning against the white wall of the corridor. Many of the girls shot Sumire envious glares. She ignored them all and hooked her arm around Natsume's. He watched it warily but did not make any move to shake it off. Sumire appeared pleased and tightened her grip on his arm. He winced. Boy, this girl has a strong grip!

"Let's go," he said abruptly, steering her away from the crowd of students. She followed willingly.

"Nyah," she said as she stuck out her tongue at a very, _very_ shocked Mikan. Sumire cackled like a witch and skipped away after Natsume.

Mikan simply stood there, allowing herself to be jostled about by other students. She didn't care. Her blank brown eyes lingered on the space where Natsume stood earlier.

_Oh, Natsume._ Her heart had shattered at the moment he had allowed Sumire to hold his hand. The insult Sumire threw meant nothing in comparison to that. It was like comparing an ant to the size of an elephant, Sumire's insult being the ant and the latter represented by the elephant.

"Hey, Mikan-chan," a boy said gently as he tapped her shoulder. She started and fell backwards.

"Wh…ahhh!" she exclaimed, her arms flailing madly, trying to get a hold on something to stop her fall. "Oof!"

Mikan opened her eyes timidly. Brown eyes met dazzling, eccentric blue ones as she stared into her saviour's eyes.

"A-Ari…arigato," she faltered.

"You are welcome," he replied with a smile. "Try not to start next time okay? I might not be there to catch you."

She giggled childishly and removed his hands from her waist. Well, if Natsume wanted to play that way, she could too.

"H-Hai. Oh, how silly of me! I don't even know your name!"

"My name? It is Kazuhiko Ryuki."

"Ooh, how cute! And how did you know my name anyway?" Mikan said playfully. _If Natsume is acting like a jerk, I shall too! _She thought childishly. No way was she going to back away from his silent challenge! Absolutely no way! Not when he had successfully torn her heart away like that…

"You are very popular you know. It is a piece of cake to find out your name, oh dazzling beauty," he said romantically. Any other girl would be charmed by his sweet words, but Mikan did not waver because her heart was already set on one person, and that was Hyuuga N- _hey! My heart does NOT belong to Natsume! He's a brat!_ Mikan thought vehemently.

"No way! Me, popular? I am just a single star student!"

"Your ranking does not affect your popularity, Mikan-chan."

"Oh yes it does. I have proof," she retorted adamantly, folding her arms across her chest.

"And where is the proof?"

"I'll show you when the opportunity arises. For now, shall we go to the canteen? I'm starving."

"Allow me to escort you, my dear."

Mikan cringed inwardly but mustered a smile. "Do shite, arigato Kazuhiko-san."

"You are welcome. By the way, just call me Ryuki. Come on, it is best not to go hungry."

"Hai R-Ryuki-kun." Hating herself mentally, she hooked an arm over one of his arms. He appeared surprised but chose to remain silent. "Let's go now, shall we?" she whispered huskily. The latter was dumbfounded. Among all the rumours spread around the school regarding Sakura Mikan, they had never said anything about her being…what was the word? Seductive. Being Natsume's girl? Yes. A klutz? Definitely. But seductive? Nope.

"Well? Are we going, or are you going to let me starve to death here?" she said with a pout.

"Ikuyo!"

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of angry crimson eyes followed their every move…

',',

Argh! No, no, _no_, _NO_! I did NOT pair Natsume up with Sumire! Argh! Eww! Gross! –glares at myself (if it is possible)- I hate myself.

No worries, their, er, 'relationship' will NOT last. I, as the author of this useless piece of fan fiction, will absolutely NOT allow it. Natsume belongs to Mikan alone, and vice versa. Hehe.

So, uh, review? If you're not too angry, that is…I won't be surprised if I receive a flame or two. Well…I allow it this time, simply because I hate this chapter too, but it was essential ( T.T )…I promise you again, this will NOT last!

Waaah! I hate myself, I hate myself, I HATE myself…


	3. Chapter 3

Okay…-sweatdrop- Now how long have I left this fan fiction of mine stranded again? Oh God a quarter of a year!

Ahehe…don't kill me ok? Here's chapter three for you to enjoy (I hope) –doles out chapter–

Warning: Some characters are extremely OOC. Don't go on if you are not in favour of OOC-ness.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice. If only I did. But I don't, so that's that.**

Mikan's batch: 15 years old

/'/'/'/'/'/'

**Chapter 3 **

/'/'/'/'/'/'

"Hey, Natsume-kun," Sumire whined. "What are we doing here?"

"…"

The, er, '_couple_' were hiding behind a large bush, or rather a small tree. Its many leaves reached up to Natsume's fringe and tickled both him and Sumire. The girl had batted them off, annoyed, but Natsume stayed rooted to his spot and refused to move.

"Natsume-kun -"

"What is it?" he hissed, never taking his eyes off a certain disturbing scene.

He could not believe his eyes. Mikan. Was. Flirting. With. A. **_BOY_**. Natsume wouldn't be surprised to see steam coming out of his ears, he was that mad.

"I thought we were going out on a date?" Sumire pouted, crossing her arms. "What are we doing here anyway?"

"Hn…" He trailed off in mid-word, eyes growing as big as saucers.

_What the Hell! P-Polka dots…did she just **hook her arm** around that **bastard**?!_ Inner Natsume screamed. The fire of jealousy in his eyes burned brightly.

An impatient Sumire tugged at his arm, bringing Natsume out of his private world with an unpleasant jolt.

"Natsume-kun! Our date," she reminded him while batting her eyelashes in a sexy manner. Her lips formed a pout that was supposed to charm the fire wielder's heart.

What a pity. (**Not.**) Natsume wasn't moved the slightest.

"Right, date…" he murmured nonchalantly as his angry crimson eyes trailed after Mikan's retreating back. Her excited giggles could be heard from where he was now, and it pissed him off, big time.

_The idiot has absolutely no taste in boys_, he snarled inwardly.

"Come on, Shouda," he snapped and walked briskly away from their hiding place. "There's nothing to see here."

Sumire's face broke into a happy grin and she tailed the boy eagerly, swooning at his every move.

"I love you so much Natsume-kuunnnn!" she squealed.

_And I hate you just as much_. Was Natsume's silent reply.

….

The news that one of the hottest boys in the junior high division, as well as former outcast Sakura Mikan, had suddenly found partners traveled around the school like wildfire.

Everyone knew of it, even the young kids down at the elementary division. Unfortunately, the truth had morphed into a heavily twisted story, no thanks to the minds and mouths of gossip masters.

What intrigued them, however, was not the story, but the fact that they had witnessed it with their own eyes. Natsume and Mikan seemed to be everywhere these days. They were always accompanied by their spouses, seemingly oblivious to the gawking crowd made up of the entire Academy.

Hyuuga and Shouda, Sakura and Kazuhiko…

It was so plain wrong.

Very, very wrong.

Mikan's POV

"Fancy walking me to the cafeteria, Ryuki-kun?" I simpered, hating every moment of it. My heart kept bleeding – nothing would make it stop, for it would bleed anew each time Natsume smothered it with his frequent appearances with his _girlfriend,_ Sumire.

Never have I hated anyone to this extent.

But I do now. And do you know why?

Because, my dears, she gets to be close to Natsume, and seduce him like some lowly bimbo while I was cast aside like an unwanted rag.

Sure, I was not the sexiest, nor the most beautiful, but Kami-sama, is it wrong to long for something that isn't yours?

Apparently it was, for Natsume had hurt me deeply with those razor-sharp words of his.

Dimly, I registered Ryuki grinning at me and offering me his arm, something he had gotten used to doing after a week of being my substitute boyfriend. Scratch that, he isn't even close to being one.

I'm only using him to tickle the jealous monster within Natsume.

As I grin and sling my arm around his, I couldn't help but feel guilt boiling up in me.

I was, after all, no better than the conceited boy himself, for I was using an innocent to get back at him. Poor Ryuki had no say in the matter, and what's worse, I…

I _used_ him.

My gaze traveled downwards sorrowfully as I muttered a thousand apologies to him in my heart. We passed many students and even Jin-Jin, with Ryuki guiding me along.

The student body still hasn't gotten used to my 'boyfriend' yet, I thought dryly. Big surprise.

Countless pairs of eyes followed us as we walked past. It intimidated me. I mean, come on, wouldn't your freak out if nearly all the students turned round and stared at you non-stop?

Sighing, I tried to hitch up my customary smile and looked up at Ryuki for some support.

My amber eyes froze when I caught sight of a couple under the blooming sakura tree. It was Natsume, with Sumire clinging to him like a spoilt baby. But what hurt me the most was the fact that her hand was traveling up and down his chest.

The wind chose that moment to pull at my hair then. I didn't care. I was too…distraught. Yes, that's the word.

Stupid Natsume….

Jealousy took over me when I saw Sumire trace his jawbone. My grip on Ryuki's arm tightened ever so slightly and I lowered by now-blank eyes to fix my gaze on the couple.

"Let's go say hi to them, shall we Ryuki-kun?" I said sweetly, not forgetting to widen my eyes in an innocent manner.

He fell for it. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want, baby."

**Baby**. Eww. I'm no _baby_, let me tell you that.

Ah well. No time to dwell on it now, Sumire just ruffled Natsume's hair! Why that girl…wait, why do I care?

_I hate him,_ I thought bitterly. _I hate Hyuuga Natsume._

_I hate him, do you hear!_ My heart screamed.

My hurt must have showed on my face, for Ryuki bent down to look at me straight in the eye.

"Mikan-chan, are you alright?" he asked softly.

I forced out a smile. "Yes. Let's go…greet Natsume-kun now."

He nodded, and I exhaled in relief. My heart started palpitating wildly as we neared the boy I loved – I mean hated with all my heart.

"Hey Ryuki-kun," I said in a carrying voice, so that the two lovebirds under the tree could hear me.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for escorting me!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Natsume's eyes narrow slightly in my direction. Good. This way, I'll be able to get my revenge on him.

I squeezed Ryuki's arm and pretended not to notice the way Natsume was glaring at us. If he wasn't fuming earlier, he definitely was now. Ooh yeah, really, _really_ mad. His death glare can melt whole blocks of ice without much of a problem, that's for sure.

"You're the reason I had so much fun today!"

Ryuki smiled nervously. Poor boy. He must be uncomfortable. Well, I'm not surprised. He's going up against Hyuuga Natsume, for goodness sake! I wonder which guy wouldn't freak out.

Natsume, you are **_so_** going to pay for insulting my pride.

Natsume's POV

Stupid, stupid Shouda Sumire.

Why, out of the many girls in class, did I have to pick the most girly and most seductive of them all?

One with a weird hairstyle, no less. Should I burn it? I suppose it would crackle like dry seaweed...

"Natsume-kun…" she crooned, trailing her fingers over my chest. My irritation flared up and threatened to explode.

_Calm down, calm down Natsume,_ I ordered myself, taking a deep breath. This is for revenge….

One inquisitive, carefully tapered, and extremely annoying finger started to travel up my nape.

Twitch.

I let out a hiss, soft enough so that Shouda wouldn't hear me. I couldn't risk her hating me anyway. Heck, that would mean I lost to polka dots!

"Hey Ryuki-kun!" I heard a girl call.

"Thanks for escorting me!"

My eyes narrowed. They were practically spitting fire at the duo! It was no wonder, for the girl was polka dots…with a**_ boy_**.

I snorted, causing several loose strands of Shouda's awful hair to fall out of place.

Idiot. Does she think she can get back at me that way?

I am Hyuuga Natsume. I won't be staggered by her flirting with another boy.

No, definitely not.

Mikan tightened her grip on the boy's arm, smiling radiantly at him. Tch. It makes me sick.

A soft pressure on my cheek alerted me to Sumire's presence, dangerously close to my face. Her warm breath tickled my neck. I was revolted, to say the least.

Wait, I can't push her off now! The idiot is approaching! What's worse, she's heading towards me.

Shit.

Can she not pick a better time?

I shot them a death glare that promised them a very painful, torturous death, and had the pleasure of seeing her escort squirm in discomfort. Hmph.

That'll teach him to play with me.

Him, rival me? Fat chance.

Besides, what do I care? I hate polka dots.

….

As their paths crossed, Mikan finally looked up and locked solemn gazes with Natsume. His angry, challenging crimson eyes bored a hole through her gentle, chocolate brown ones, yet she refused to look down. She stood her ground defiantly and tightened her hold on Ryuki. Natsume noticed it and glared harder, if that was possible.

"Polka dots," he greeted icily. She inclined her head and muttered a 'hi'.

A loud snort from Sumire broke the tense moment into billions of tiny pieces. Mikan's bleeding heart shattered along with it. Natsume did not look as though he would give up easily, and neither did she.

Ryuki saved the day by grinning jovially down at Natsume. "Hi!" he said jovially. "I suppose you are Mikan-chan's classmate?"

Crimson eyes narrowed at the mention of Mikan's name. _Mikan-chan?_ He thought incredulously.

"Oh, so you two are on a first-name basis now, polka dots?" he snapped coldly, sending an intimidating glare at Ryuki for emphasis.

"Yes, we are, _Natsume-kun_," she replied staunchly. "What about you and…Sumire?" _Why? Why is it so hard for me to accept the truth? Why!_

"We're doing fine, Sakura, and we'd appreciate it if you'll leave us alone!" Sumire interjected.

Mikan stared long and hard at her, never speaking a word. Her eyes were glazed and faraway. Natsume could almost detect a misty layer on those intoxicating eyes of hers.

"Well, we have to go, anyway," she finally said, rather shakily. "Goodbye."

She tugged gently at Ryuki's arm, and he stared dubiously, first at her, then at Natsume and Sumire.

"Well…goodbye, I suppose," he muttered doubtfully, running a hand through his hair. "See you soon!"

"_Not_," Natsume hissed under his breath. "Bastard."

"What did you say, Natsume-kun?" Sumire asked.

"Nothing…"

_I won't let you win. Mikan belongs to ME._

….

"…" The entire class was speechless.

No, it was not because of some commotion, nor was there any accident of any kind in the class.

So why were they silent?

"N-Narumi-sensei…why are you dressed like that?" Mikan asked with a large sweatdrop.

"Hm? Anything wrong with it?" he asked, training his gaze on her.

"Er."

"Yes. Why are you wearing such a sparkly outfit?" two voices chorused at the same time. Mikan blinked and looked at Kokoroyomi, who grinned at her.

Sure enough, Narumi was wearing a tight-fitting shirt with an equally tight pair of pants. Sequins studded every area of pale violet fabric available, nearly blinding his students with its brilliance.

To top it all off, on his head was what looked like a sombrero, but…it was of a striking violet colour and had some fuzzy material sewed onto the rim. And like the rest of Narumi's outfit, it sparkled brightly whenever light hit it.

"Oh, this?"

The majority of his students nodded. Narumi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, since Valentine's Day is approaching, I thought I'd dress up early to remind the students who might have forgotten." Here he winked at Mikan, who smiled back at him without catching his hint.

He cleared his throat and allowed his gaze to wander around the class once.

"This year, the Academy is organizing a special event in conjunction with this very meaningful day."

Excited murmurs broke out among the students, especially the girls.

"There will be a performance every student must take part in. You will do it in pairs. Oh yes, and did I mention that this is a musical night?" he grinned when he saw that his words had piqued the interest of his students.

Unfortunately, with the attention also comes a riot, and the noise level in the cramped classroom went up by a threefold. Narumi winced slightly and tried to smile at his eager students.

"Calm down, class!"

Nothing changed. If possible, the noise grew louder.

"Allow me to explain," he tried again. "As I said, each of you will have to perform a duet with your partner. And the theme for the songs is…"

"Love."

_Right,_ Natsume thought dryly. Trust Narumi to pick that topic, of all themes. However, the rest of the students disagreed with the moody fire alice.

The girls squealed loudly.

"Natsume-kun, I'll sing a song just for you!" Sumire said happily.

"But you have to sing with your partner remember?" he pointed out. _Thank God she can't sing with me. It'll be Hell._

"Ah, who cares about my partner. You're my one true love!"

"Class, class!" Narumi sensei called, clapping his hands to gain attention. When the clamour subsided, he smiled and held up a box. There was a hole in the middle, just enough for a hand to slip inside.

"What's that box for, Narumi sensei?" Mikan asked.

He gave her a conniving grin. "There are many slips of papers in here. Either you or your partner must stick your hand into this little hole here -" he indicated the hole on the top of the box "- and draw one piece of paper out."

"What is it for, sensei?" Nonoko enquired, unable to restrain her excitement.

"This, my dear students, will determine the song you will be singing that day."

"Stupid," Natsume muttered and pulled out a manga. He wasn't going to listen to this crackpot's rant. Oh no, not he.

Mikan glared at him. "I heard that. As if I'm thrilled. A duet, with you! It's going to turn my life upside down."

"Yeah. Your croaky voice will deafen me."

"Why you idiot!"

"You're the idiot."

"_Insensitive, low-lying **jerk**_!"

"Polka dots."

"Bastard!"

"Mikan-chan, Natsume-kun!!" Narumi shouted over the eager chatter of the students who have already chosen their songs. "I'm sorry, but there's only one more song left for the both of you."

"It's okay, sensei," the brunette said with a smile, simmering down. Walking to the front of the class, she took the last slip of paper out of the box and opened it slowly.

"Hm…? What's this? Hey, Natsume-kun, look at this!"

"Hn." He threw a careless gaze at the words scribbled on the paper before going to back his manga.

Wait.

Snatching it out of a very surprised Mikan's hand, he re-read the words. His crimson eyes widened.

"Pfft." With a loud crackle, his fist was engulfed in flames, consuming the paper but leaving the boy's hand unharmed.

Out of all songs…they just had to get that one.

Darn Narumi and his love themes.

An idea popped up in his head and he frowned. Well, if he has to sing a duet with the idiot, might as well use it to his advantage.

Whoever suggested this event is going to be burnt into a crisp.

Valentine's Day, indeed.

',',

Okay, I apologize for the late update…

What song will they have to sing? And why is Natsume so pissed off? It's just a song! Hopefully, nothing goes wrong…but knowing Mikan it's bound to screw up. Ah well.

Stay tuned for the next chapter! I'll work on it after another update, or maybe I'll do this first to compensate for the mega late update...


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